Hotchniss
by JessicaTheClosetRomantic
Summary: Emily Prentiss has always thought Aaron Hotchner was good looking; but what happens when she acts on her feelings? Does he feel the same way?
1. Damn Paperwork

So, I deleted all of my stories on my account a while ago. I haven't been on here a while, but I wanted to start writing every once in a while again. I want to start fresh. I used to only write for the tv show Castle, but I am expanding my horizon, and I'm gonna start writing for other tv shows, movies, and books. That doesn't mean I won't write some stuff for Castle, but just not only that. This is my first time ever writing a story for Criminal Minds. I ship Prentiss/Hotch, Reid/JJ, and Morgan/Garcia. I've always been very open to reviews, so leave me feedback or private message me. Whatever works for you. I love ideas too, so give me all the ideas that you want to give me. Sorry for the long message. I'm just really excited about writing, and publishing stories again. This is going to be a Hotch/Prentiss love story. I don't know how many chapters it will end up being. I guess as many as I can come up with. I'm going to make this story in different points of view for the chapters. I'm going to make the main characters different ages than they actually are in the show. Hotch is 36. Morgan is 34. Garcia is 34. Reid is 25. JJ is 29. Prentiss is 33. Rossi is 42. Thanks for reading this, and I hope you enjoy the story. - Jessica

A Moment in Time

Chapter 1

Paperwork.

More like hell on multiple sheets of paper, that never goes away no matter how much you try.

Emily Prentiss loved her job. More than anything, but all of this paperwork is annoying.

Morgan is on vacation in the Bahamas for the week, so Prentiss was stuck with all of his paperwork till he gets back.

"Damn, Morgan. Why couldn't his paperwork be pushed off on someone else?"Prentiss mumbles annoyingly as she taps her foot.

Reid comes over when he sees her so annoyed.

"Let me guess; you're tired of all the extra paperwork and you are already planning on killing Morgan when he gets back."Reid asks as Emily finally takes her eyes off of all the paperwork.

"Ughhh… I feel like I've been sitting here doing this for days on end with no break. I'm starting to go insane."

"Well, you only have to do this for 2 more days until he gets back."

"True."

"So, just keep putting that in your head every time you get annoyed, and before you know it, he'll be back."

"Reid; how are you so smart? You should have been a psychologist."Prentiss asks.

Reid always comes up with ways to make everyone feel better.

"It comes naturally, Emily."

"So, are you going to Hotch's birthday party tonight? Morgan is going to Skype him during the party to say happy birthday."Reid asks excitedly.

"I don't know, Reid. I have a lot of paperwork that still needs to be done."

"Come on, Emily. You can step away from the paperwork for a few hours. Paperwork can wait, you know."Reid asks persuasively knowing she would give in.

"Fine, I'll go. You know, you are really starting to turn into Morgan." Emily says as she gets up and puts everything away on her desk.

"I'll take that as a compliment."Reid says as they head out of the bureau.

"I'm so telling him you said that."Emily says laughing.

Author's Note: Alright, that was the first chapter of many to come. I will have a bunch more chapters uploaded soon. Feel free to leave reviews, ideas, comments, questions, or private message me if you like. I'll take criticism. BTW, this story won't be entirely about a Hotch/Prentiss romance. Some chapters will be a little bit about the other agents too. Gideon will not be in this story. He may be mentioned in it though. None of the new agents will be in this story either. If I do decide to have a new agent or agents, I will create my own. In the present time of the beginning of this story, it's been 2 years since Haley died. Jack is 5. JJ and Will got married while she was pregnant with Henry 3 years ago. They got divorced a year before this story starts. Henry is 3. All of the characters are single right now, but that will definitely change. For now, this story is T rated, but some chapters may have a different rating. I'll put a rating below my author's note at the beginning of each chapter. Thanks for reading. - Jessica


	2. Hotch's 36th Birthday Party

Hey everyone! Here's the second chapter. I wrote and finished it only hours after I wrote and published the first chapter. Thank you to everyone who has read my story so far. Please feel free to leave a review with a comment, question, idea/s, or criticism. If you're ever confused about what's going on in this story, private message me and I'll explain everything to you.

Chapter 2 Rating: T

"Happy Birthday, Hotch!"Everyone yells as Hotch walks in the room where his birthday party is going on.

"Thanks guys. This was really nice of you."Hotch says thanking everyone with a big smile on his face.

"Alright! The birthday boy is here; time for drinks!"JJ yells as everyone goes over to the mini bar set up in the corner of the room.

"The big 3-6. Man, you're getting old, Hotch."Rossi slyly comments grinning.

"Not as old as you, old man."Hotch comments back as they go over to order drinks.

"I'll have a Manhattan, please."Rossi says to the lady standing behind the mini bar.

"I'll have a hurricane cocktail, please."Hotch says.

"You're definitely going to be puking tomorrow."Rossi comments as they pay for their drinks.

"Oh, I'm just getting started. Believe me."

"I seriously cannot wait to get wasted tonight."Garcia comments as she gulps down her tequila.

"Me too, but I'm definitely not looking forward to the hangover."JJ says as she sips on her grapefruit margarita.

"I'm already halfway there ladies."Emily says as she gulps down a couple shots of Snake Bite.

"How can you drink that stuff? I'd drop dead if I had an ounce of that stuff."JJ asks Emily.

"I've been drinking since I was 15. I'm used to the power of alcohol."Emily says and JJ and Garcia shake their heads at her.

"Reid, why did you get a Strawberry Daiquiri?"Emily asks as Reid sips on his drink quietly.

"Somebody has to be a designated driver tonight."

"Oh, come on, Reid. Have some fun. We'll all catch cabs tonight."Emily says.

"No, I'm fine with not having a hangover tomorrow."

"Alright. But, that girl Erika over there seems to have a stalker crush on you. She doesn't drink."Emily teases Reid and he finally gives on.

"Fine. Give me something with lots of alcohol in it."Reid asks the bartender as he practically runs over to her.

"Morgan is waiting to Skype with us right now."JJ says to the gang as they open up her laptop and get onto Skype.

"Hey guys! How you doing?"Morgan asks with drink in his hand through the screen.

"Good. Everyone's already drunk."JJ says laughing and Morgan laughs too as he shakes his head.

"I'm on my fifth drink today."Morgan says as he takes a big sip of his drink.

"Come back, Morgan. I beg of you. I'm going insane with all of YOUR paperwork stacked up on my desk."

"I'll be back in a couple days chica. Where's the birthday boy?"

"Hello, Morgan! Enjoying your vacation?"Hotch asks.

"Yes, sir. Happy Birthday. I sure miss you guys."

"Yeah. I'm sure you do, with all the girls fawning over you."Emily comments as she rolls her eyes.

"Well, I got to go guys. See you in a couple days."Everyone said their goodbyes as they shut the laptop.

The next morning:

"Ughhh… My head hurts."Emily comments as she starts to wake up, feeling the brunt of her hangover.

"Uh oh. Where am I?"Emily quietly asks herself as she sees that she's in a strange bed.

"Well, at least I have all my clothes on. That's a good sign."She thinks to herself as she looks around the room.

She spots a picture of Jack of a dresser, and realizes where she's at.

"Oh my god. I'm in Hotch's apartment. How did I get here?"Emily asks herself nervously.

She must of gotten hammered last night. She can't remember a thing that happened the night before.

She hears the bedroom door opening and turns towards it nervously.

"Emily?"Hotch asks quietly, not seeing that she is already awake.

"Why did he call me Emily? Since when does he call me by my first name?"Emily thinks quietly to herself.

She swallows a dry gulp in her throat and replies "Yeah?"

"Good. You're awake. Do you need any pain meds? I'm sure you have a bad hangover right now after all the drinks you drank last night."Hotch says quietly as he walks into the bathroom that is connected to his bedroom and grabs her a couple aspirin from the medicine cabinet and a glass of water.

"Thanks."Emily smiles at him as she takes the pain meds gratefully, already feeling a headache developing.

"So…."Emily says awkwardly.

"I'm guessing you're wondering how you got here last night."Hotch says.

"Yeah. I can't really remember much right now."

"Well, everyone got very drunk. You were hammered. I ended up getting a cab. I ended up just bringing you back here so I knew you were okay for the night. I slept on the couch. I figured you'd like sleeping in a bed better than a couch."Hotch says quietly.

"Thank you. That was very nice of you…"Emily thanks him before an awkward pause.

"So…. Where's Jack today?"

"I dropped him off at my sister's yesterday before the party. I gotta go pick him up in a few hours."

"Okay. Well, I should probably go back to my apartment, and take a shower. I'm pretty sure I stink of alcohol right now."Emily says as she gets up.

"Where's my purse?"She asks as she looks around the room.

"Oh, uhmmm…. I think it's on the kitchen counter."Hotch says and they walk out of his bedroom and into the kitchen.

"Well, thanks again for making sure I was alright last night. I'll see you at the bureau."Emily says and they awkwardly hug before she walks out the door.

She catches a cab back to her apartment.

"JJ."Emily says seriously into the phone when JJ answers.

"Yeah? What's up Em?"JJ asks.

Emily can hear little Henry talking in the background.

"Do you remember last night?"Emily asks her and there's a quiet pause before she answers.

"What do you mean?"

"I must of gotten really drunk last night, because I can't remember a thing that happened. And…"Emily starts rambling before she pauses.

"And, what?"

"I woke up this morning in Hotch's bed."Emily quickly blurts out and there's another quiet pause.

"You mean our Hotch?"

"Which Hotch do you think I mean, JJ? We both only know one Hotch."Emily says frustratingly.

"Okay. You don't remember him taking you home last night?"

"No. He said that he called us a cab, and brought me back to his place to make sure I was okay for the night. I must've drank a lot."

"Well, do you know if anything happened?"JJ asks trying to pry Emily for more information.

"I don't think anything happened. I was in his bed and he was on the couch. I was fully clothed so I don't think anything happened."Emily responds unsurely.

"Was he acting strange or awkward around you this morning?"

"A little bit, but you know how Hotch is."

"That's true."

"Oh my god."Emily gasps all of a sudden.

"What? Did you remember something?"

"I think I kissed Hotch last night."

Flashback to the night before:

"Thanks for getting me a ride home tonight, Hotch. I'm so dizzy right now I can barely think."Emily says rubbing her head.

"That's probably from all the alcohol."

"You think? I knew I shouldn't have taken all those shots."

There was a comfortable silence for a while before Emily scooted closer to Hotch on the small cab seat.

"You know Hotch; there's something about you."

"What do you mean?"Hotch asks quietly, not sure of where this conversation is going.

"You know. That tall, tough, strong personality. It's what makes women fall for you."

Emily was so close to him that they were eye to eye now.

"How do you know that?"Hotch asks quietly.

Hotch had quite a few drinks tonight, but he wasn't nearly as drunk as Emily was, or at least appears to be.

"Because; I might be one of those women."Emily says.

She quickly glances down at his lips before moving her eyes back to his. She leans forward, and puts her lips on his gently; not moving them at first to let him have time to react.

Hotch doesn't know what to think. Emily Prentiss's lips are on his right now. There are a million reasons why he shouldn't be kissing her (number one being that they work together and the rules at the bureau strictly say no fraternizing between co-workers). He lets his male instinct take over him though and kisses her back; gently putting his hand on her jaw.

Emily Prentiss can't believe it. Aaron Hotchner is actually kissing her. But then, she realizes they shouldn't be doing this. But, Hotch was such a great kisser (not that she didn't think he wouldn't be). She pulls back slowly, and her eyes slowly open to find him gazing at her.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that. When I'm drinking…"Emily mumbles quickly, but then Hotch pulled her in for another kiss that shocked her for a second, but then she responds with as much passion as the first kiss.

End of Flashback

"Emily?"JJ asks after a long pause.

"Yeah."

"What were you thinking about?"

"I had a flashback to last night. I did kiss Hotch, and he kissed me back."

"Wow. I can't believe that."

"Me neither… Oh no."

"What?"

"Now things are going to be awkward between us."

"Well, the more important question is; do you have feelings for Hotch?"

"I…"Emily pauses.

"Oh my god. I have feelings for Hotch."

"And, do you want to act on those feelings?"

"JJ! We work together. You know the rules. No fraternizing."

"Yes, but that doesn't mean you can't try to bend the rules. Strauss has actually been nice lately."

"Yes, but that's not the point. We work together. How would that affect our working relationship? Not to mention that I don't even know if he has feelings for me."

"He did kiss you back after you kissed him, right?"

"Well, yeah…"

"Talk to him about it."

"I guess I will. In my own time."

"Good. Now, do you want to talk about anything else?"

"Not really. I just had to talk to somebody about last night, and I knew you would be the only one that would actually listen and keep this information to yourself."

"Well, thanks for the compliment. I'll see you when a new case pops up."

"Okay. Thanks again, JJ."

"No problem."

AN: Okay. I don't know how good this chapter was. Tell me in a review. I've never written for Criminal Minds before, so writing for these characters is new to me. I kept re-reading the dialogue to make sure it sounded like actual conversations that could happen between the characters. The next chapter will be up as soon as I write it. Please feel free to leave a review. Like I always say; ideas, questions, and criticism is always welcome. Also, feel free to private message me if you are confused about the story. Thanks for reading. - Jessica


	3. Natalie Limbara Case

Author's Note: First, I want to say a prayer for all of the victims who died in the Malaysian Airlines Flight 17, and also I want to pray for all of their families and friends. I can't even imagine losing somebody that way with no answers. I want to remind everybody that the cases, victims, and unsubs in this story are all things I made up/created. I hope you all enjoy this chapter. Thanks for reading. – Jessica

Chapter 3 Rating: T

"22 year old Natalie Limbara was found murdered at 7am yesterday. She was found in Fair Oaks Park in Fair Oaks County in Sacramento, California. She died from 4 gunshot wounds to the chest. "JJ says to the team as they start organizing their new case.

"Estimated time of murder is midnight the night before. A lady who takes a morning run every morning in that park found her. So far, no witnesses."

"Alright, everyone. See you on the jet."Hotch says as they all pack up and head to get on the jet.

1 Hour Later:

"This is going to be a sad case."JJ comments as they all are in the jet flying to Sacramento, California.

"Her parents are very upset about this. Local police said the family has the mother on suicide watch."Emily comments as she reads the case information.

"She was studying at The University of Phoenix-Sacramento Valley Campus to be a teacher. Only 1 year away from getting her master's degree."

"That's a shame."

8 Hours Later:

"Mrs. Limbara, I'm so sorry about your daughter."JJ says as her and Prentiss meet with the victim's parents at their home.

"Thank you, sweetie."Mrs. Limbara replies tearfully.

"Do you two have any idea where Natalie was at the night she got murdered.

"I don't know. I talked to her on the phone at 8'oclock that night, and she said that she was just going to stay in for the night and study."Mrs. Limbara replies.

"Do you know anyone that Natalie was having trouble with lately?"

"No. I don't recall her mentioning anyone she had any problems with. Everyone liked Natalie. She had a lot of friends."Mrs. Limbara says tearing up again.

"Mr. Limbara, is there anybody you can think of that would want to hurt Natalie?"

"She mentioned to me a couple weeks ago that one of her ex-boyfriends' was trying to get back together with her. She told me he got very mad when she rejected him."Mr. Limbara says.

"What's this ex-boyfriends' name?"JJ asks.

"Tommy Hitchler."He replies.

"How long ago did they break up?"Emily asks.

"6 months ago. They were together for a year. Natalie didn't like that he kept drinking around her. She was a great, smart girl. She never drank. She always studied. Got good grades. I can't believe this happened! I'm gonna kill that bastard if he hurt my Natalie!"Mr. Limbara says angrily.

"Mrs. Limbara, did Natalie have a boyfriend at the moment?"

"She did start seeing this guy named Cooper a couple months ago. Nothing ever got serious though. He was studying to be a teacher like Natalie."

"Alright. Thank you so much for talking to us and giving us your time."JJ says as her and Prentiss stand up and hug the parents goodbye.

"If you need anything, call my number. I'd be happy to help. Even if you just want to talk."Emily says as she gives them her phone number.

"Thank you so much Agents."

3 hours later:

"Anything from the friends?"JJ asks the group as they re-gather at the local police department.

"Her best friend Jessica mentioned her ex-boyfriend Tommy Hitchler was trying to get back together with her, and he was being very aggressive about it. She said that he slapped her the other day, because she told him off. A couple other of her friends said that she didn't have any enemies, and that everyone seemed to like her."Morgan comments.

"Did they see her the night she was murdered?"JJ asks.

"Her best friend Jessica said that Natalie told her that she was going to stay in her dorm all night and study. She says she liked to go to the library sometimes. She might've been at the library before she died."Morgan comments again.

"Alright. It sounds like we need to pay Tommy Hitchler a visit. Morgan and Emily, go find out where Tommy is currently living, and talk to him. Reid, Rossi, and I will go look around the library, and see if anyone remembers seeing her there."JJ comments.

Morgan and Emily:

"So, how was Hotch's birthday party Saturday night?"Morgan asks as him and Emily are on their way to Tommy Hitchler's current address.

"Good. It was fun. Everyone drank a lot. I don't remember much from the party, though."

"Alright, girl. Gimme the gossip."Morgan comments with a smug look on his face.

"What do you mean give you the gossip?"Emily asks with a confused face.

"You know. Like did anybody hook up with anybody?"

Emily's face turns pale white.

"Uhmm… I don't know. Like I said, I can't remember much from that night."Emily responds nervously.

"Did Garcia hook up with anybody?"Morgan asks not so casually.

"Why? Do you like her?"Emily teases before she sees the look on her face.

"I'm sorry, Morgan. But, no. I'm pretty sure she didn't hook up with anybody that night."

"Good. I don't want anybody hurting my girl's feelings."

"You should ask her out."Emily says, giving him a reassuring smile.

"I don't know. Penelope and I have always had this flirty friendship. I don't wanna ruin that by dating her."Morgan replies shrugging his shoulders.

"I think you should at least ask her out on a date. It wouldn't hurt to go out on at least one date with her, would it?"

"I guess. Maybe I'll ask her out soon."

"Good. Glad to hear that."

There was a long, comfortable pause as Emily and Morgan hummed to the radio.

"So… What's up with you and Hotch?"Morgan asks all of a sudden and Emily freezes.

"Wh..What?"Emily stumbles with her words nervously.

How does Morgan know about her and Hotch?

"Hotch said that you stayed the night at his place on Saturday."

"Yeah, well that was because he wanted to make sure I was okay after drinking so much."

"Hotch and Prentiss sitting in a tree…"Morgan starts signing and Emily slaps him on the arm playfully.

"K-I-S-S-I-N-G."Emily's face starts to turn red now as Morgan's singing gets louder.

"First comes love…"

"Stop, Morgan."

"Second comes marriage…"

"I mean it, Morgan!"

"Then, comes the baby in the baby carriage."Morgan finishes and starts laughing as Emily glares at him.

"That is so not funny!"Emily yells at him as he continues laughing.

"Yes it is. You and Hotch's kids would be so cute."Morgan continues and Emily slaps him again, this time harder so he gets the message.

"Okay. Okay. I'll stop."

"Thank you."

"K-I-S-S-I-N…"

"Enough!"

AN: Alright. Hope you liked this chapter. Please review and let me know what you think. Ideas are always welcome. Next chapter picks up at Tommy Hitchler's house. Not all of the chapters in this story will have case stuff, but a few of them will. Thanks for reading! I really appreciate it! - Jessica


	4. Natalie Limbara Case Part 2

AN: If you're currently reading this sentence, thank you so, so much for reading my story. I really appreciate it. This chapter has a little bit of case stuff in it, but will end up having lots of Prentiss and Hotch at the end of the chapter. This chapter also picks up where the last chapter left off. Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoy this chapter. – Jessica

Chapter 4 Rating: T

Prentiss and Morgan knocked on Tommy Hitchler's door, and soon enough they saw him walking towards them through the door window.

"What do you want?"Tommy asks as he opens the door.

He was wearing a torn up shirt, and a raggedy pair of jeans. He stank of alcohol.

"No wonder Natalie broke up with this guy."Prentiss thought quietly to herself.

"Your ex-girlfriend Natalie Limbara was found murdered Tuesday morning. Can we please come in and talk?"Prentiss asks nicely.

"Fine. Come in."Tommy says opening the door wider for them to walk through.

"Don't mind the mess. I had a party last night."Tommy comments as all three of them try to walk through the mess of empty booze bottles and empty cigarette packs.

They all sit down on Tommy's couch.

Morgan tried sitting as far away from Tommy as possible. The guy smelled like he hadn't taken a shower in weeks.

"How did she die?"Tommy asks first before Prentiss or Morgan had time to talk.

"Someone shot her in the chest four times."

"Ouch. I can't believe she's dead. I just saw her Monday night."

"Tommy, what was going on between you and Natalie? Some of her friends told us that you were trying to get back together with her."Prentiss comments.

"I was. I still love her."

"I hate to ask you this, but where were you Monday night?"Morgan asks and Tommy shakes his head in disgust.

"You think I killed her?! I would never kill her! I loved her!"Tommy starts yelling.

Prentiss gently puts a hand on his shoulder.

"Tommy; we know you loved Natalie. But, please answer the question."

"I visited her at her dorm around four that day. Got back home around 7. I had a few of my buddies over to drink and play poker all night."

"Alright. We'll need the names of those buddies that came over that night, so we can call them and confirm that you were with them the whole time."Morgan says as he gets out a notebook and a pen to write down the names.

"Isaiah Nole; Hunter Badger; Jessie Costello; Frank Gjelda; Tom Pintow; Sam Banke; Sal Zjockery."

"Thank you for your time, Mr. Hitchler. We are very sorry for the loss of Natalie."Prentiss says as they all stand up.

"No problem. Anything to catch Natalie's killer. She didn't deserve to die. Please let me know when you catch Natalie's killer."

"We will."

Outside in the car:

"I hate to say it, but I think I understand why Natalie didn't want to get back together with Tommy. He's an alcoholic slob. He doesn't have his life together like she did."

"Let's go back to the station and call his buddies up. See if they can all confirm that they were with him the night of the murder."Morgan says and Prentiss nods as they drive back to the local police station.

Back at the station (2 Hours Later):

"All of Tommy's buddies confirm that they were with him all night the night Natalie was murdered."Prentiss says as the whole team walks into the briefing room.

"Are you sure Tommy is innocent?"Rossi asks.

"He seemed calm and collected when we talked to him. He is genuinely upset about Natalie's death. I don't think he did it."Morgan comments.

"Who else could have killed her? Her friends all said that she didn't have any enemies and that everyone liked her. All anyone seems to be mentioning is Tommy."Morgan comments before he calls Garcia on speaker phone.

"Hey, hot buns. Whatcha need from Penelope G?"Garcia says and everyone laughs.

"Garcia, we need you to run a background check on Tommy Hitchler. How fast can you do that?"Hotch asks and everyone can hear the quick clicking of keys on Garcia's keyboard.

"Already got his information. Arrested 5 years ago for underage drinking and public indecency. Nothing violent on his record."Garcia says as she reads Tommy's background information.

"Any sexual harassment complaints?"Morgan asks.

"Nope. He's squeaky clean besides underage drinking and public indecency. Apparently while he was getting arrested for the underage drinking, he was so wasted that he pulled down his pants in front of the cops and tried to take a leak."Garcia says.

Prentiss, Reid, and JJ giggle.

"What's so funny?"Morgan asks feeling left out.

"That sounds like something you would totally do if you were wasted."Prentiss says laughing and rolling her head back.

"Is this payback for me teasing you earlier?"Morgan asks and Prentiss turns white.

"No. I just thought it would be something that you would do if you were drunk."Prentiss says nervously, hoping no one notices her stutter.

"What was he teasing you about, Prentiss?"Hotch asks and Prentiss swallows hard.

"Oh, nothing. It was nothing."Prentiss says quickly and they all give her weird looks before getting back to the case.

The Next Day:

"Emily?"Hotch asks while Prentiss is sitting at her desk.

"Yeah?"

"Do you have a few minutes to talk?"Hotch asks and Prentiss swallows hard.

"Yeah, sure."Prentiss says standing up and she follows him into his office.

"What did you want to talk to me about?"Prentiss asks as Hotch closes his office door.

"I want to talk to you about Saturday night."Hotch says quietly.

"What about Saturday night?"

"We shouldn't have kissed. It's against bureau rules, and we're co-workers. It was not appropriate, and I'm sorry."

"You don't have to apologize, Hotch. I kissed you first."

"Yes, but I did provoke it. I was flirting with you all night. I'm sure you don't remember though."

"No. I don't remember that part of that night."

"Good. Let's just put this behind us and move on. We have a killer to put behind bars."Hotch says before walking out of his office.

Emily nods sadly, trying to put on a fake smile.

"What if I don't wanna put this behind us?"Emily whispers quietly to herself before following him out of his office.

AN: So, I hope you liked it. The killer will be revealed and put behind bars within the next couple of chapters. I'm thinking about having a girls night in the next chapter or so with Emily, JJ, and Garcia so they can talk about Hotch and Emily. What do you guys think about that? Also, more Prentiss and Hotch stuff is coming your way. I have stuff planned out in my mind for them. You guys will just have to wait and see what happens. (*evil smiles*) Thanks for reading this story. I really appreciate it. Hopefully chapter 5 will be up by the time I leave on Friday to go up to my dad's cabin. But, I can't promise anything. Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter. Please review or private message me. I would love to hear what you think of this story. Ideas and questions are very welcome. I haven't gotten any writer's block yet, but I'm worried that might happen down the line. Reviews make me update faster, because they give me encouragement. Even if they're not very nice reviews. Sorry for the long author's note. Hope you're looking forward to the next chapter. - Jessica


	5. Catching the Killer: Limbara Case

AN: Hey everybody! I'm back again. I did manage to write and finish this before I left to go up to my dad's cabin. Yay! This chapter picks up two days after the last chapter. The killer will be revealed and put behind bars in this chapter. There will also be a girls' night with Prentiss, JJ, and Garcia either in this chapter or in the next chapter. Thanks for reading my story! Hope you enjoy this chapter. – Jessica

Chapter 5 Rating: T

2 Days Later:

"Any new leads or information?"Hotch asks the team in the briefing room.

"Nope. Nothing new."JJ comments sadly.

"Agents?"Officer Nomak yells into the briefing room suddenly.

"Yes?"JJ asks.

"We have the victim's mother from this case on the phone. I can hear yelling in the background, but I can't quite tell what she's saying."

"Did you have someone track the gps of the phone?"JJ asks and the officer nods.

"Good. Where is the call taking place?"

"In her home."

"Alright; thanks Officer Nomak."JJ says before they all get into their black SUVs' and race to Mr. and Mrs. Limbara's house.

10 Minutes Later:

Rossi, Morgan, and Reid are in an SUV. Hotch, Prentiss, and JJ are in another SUV.

JJ is still on speaker phone with Mrs. Limbara; trying to figure out what she is yelling in the background.

"Mrs. Limbara can you hear me?"JJ asks in the phone and JJ can finally hear what she is yelling clearly.

"How could you murder one of our daughters? What the hell is wrong with you?"JJ can hear Mrs. Limbara yelling in the background.

20 Minutes Later:

The gang quickly gets out of the car when they arrive at the Limbara house.

"Rossi and Morgan check the back of the house. Reid and JJ check the front of the house. Prentiss and I will check upstairs."Hotch says and they all nod before moving into their positions.

Hotch kicks down the door, and they all go in.

They can hear yelling from upstairs.

Hotch, Prentiss, JJ, and Reid all go upstairs in search of Mrs. Limbara.

They search all the rooms until they come across what must've been the parents' bedroom.

Hotch cracks open the door, and sees Mrs. Limbara pointing a gun at her husband.

"Mrs. Limbara! Put the gun down!"Hotch commands as they all walk into the bedroom.

"I can't! He killed our daughter! He deserves to die!"Mrs. Limbara yells in tears.

"I didn't mean to! It was an accident!"Mr. Limbara yells in defense.

"Oh, so shooting our daughter was an accident? Are you kidding me? Do you think I'm stupid? Is this the gun you killed her with?"Mrs. Limbara asks and Mr. Limbara puts his hands up.

"I… I don't know."Mr. Limbara says.

"Natalie was actually thinking about getting back together with Tommy, LeAnn! What was I supposed to do?"

"Not kill her! You jackass!"Mrs. Limbara yells and puts her finger on the trigger.

"Don't shoot, Mrs. Limbara! Put the gun down!"Prentiss yells and Mrs. Limbara points the gun at Prentiss and pulls the trigger.

AN: Dum, Dum, Dum… I bet you didn't see that coming. I honestly didn't either. This chapter got created in my head as I was writing it. The next chapter is already written, and will be up the same day. Hope you liked it! What do you guys think happened? Did Mrs. Limbara shoot Emily? Is Emily dangerously hurt? Did the gun even go off? All those answers will be revealed in the next chapter. Thanks for reading! Please review. - Jessica


	6. Catching the Killer: Limbara Case Part 2

AN: Hey everyone! My internet/cable was acting up for a couple weeks. That's why there wasn't a new update for a little while. I was also at my dad's cabin for a week, so I couldn't get any writing done. As you can tell, I ramble/babble a lot. I'm just a talker. I never shut up in real life either. Lol. Anyway, this chapter picks up right where the last one left off. Thanks for reading this story, and listening to my rambling. Hope you like it! – Jessica

Chapter 6 Rating: T

It seemed like time stopped.

Everyone froze when Mrs. Limbara pulled the trigger on Prentiss.

Hotch catches Prentiss as she falls to the ground.

Morgan, JJ, and Rossi put both Mr. and Mrs. Limbara in handcuffs.

"Emily? Are you okay? Can you hear me? Emily?"Hotch says frantically as he searches her body for gunshot wounds.

"I'm okay, Hotch. I think it just grazed me."Emily says before Hotch slowly and carefully helps her sit up.

She pulls off her protective vest, and puts it on the ground next to her.

Hotch sees the bullet in the protective vest and sighs in relief.

"Luckily, it didn't even graze me."Emily says as she looks all over her body making sure there were no wounds.

Morgan, JJ, Rossi, and Reid walk out the door along with Mr. and Mrs. Limbara.

"I'm so glad you're okay."Hotch says hugging Emily and she hugs him back.

"Me too."She says before Hotch helps her stand up and grab her vest before they follow the rest of the team out of the house.

Soon enough, 2 cop cars pull in the driveway of the Limbara house, and Mr. Limbara gets put in one of them, and Mrs. Limbara gets put in the other one.

"I wonder why he killed his own daughter."Prentiss comments as they all watch the cop cars pull away.

"What do you think is going to happen to them?"JJ asks.

"Well, Mr. Limbara will be put on trial to determine how many years he will serve in prison. Mrs. Limbara will be having a psych evaluation to make sure her mental health is stable. She will be charged with assaulting an agent. Although she didn't mean to kill Prentiss, she will still get charges put against her for pulling the trigger. As for their relationship; I don't know. Personally, I don't think I'd wanna stay married to my spouse while they were in prison serving time for killing our child."Hotch says and they all walk back to the SUVs.

12 Hours Later:

Everyone had left after they finished their paperwork, but Prentiss stayed. She wanted to talk to Hotch without anybody being nosy.

Prentiss knocks on the door of Hotch's office.

"Come in."He says and she opens the door.

"Can I talk to you?"She asks and Hotch nods.

She closes the door behind her and sits in the chair across from where Hotch was sitting at his desk.

"Good work on the Limbara case."Hotch comments after a moment of silence.

"Thanks, but everyone else did just as much work as I did."She responds.

"Thank you for making sure I was okay today. That bullet could have easily ripped past my vest and wounded me."

"I know. I'm glad you're safe."

"I mean getting shot was not exactly on my list of things to do today, so it made me a little anxious, and I…"Prentiss rambles quickly and then realizes she's ranting, but Hotch cuts her off.

"Do you want to go out sometime?"Hotch asks suddenly out of nowhere and Emily tries to hide the shock on her face.

"Do you mean out on a date?"Prentiss asks nervously.

"Yes. I know it's against the rules, but I talked to Strauss about it today, and she said she didn't care unless it affected our work."

"So…?"Hotch asks after a moment of silence and Emily snaps out of her shock.

"Okay."Prentiss says and Hotch smiles.

"Since today is Friday and we just wrapped up a case; what about tonight?"

"Garcia, JJ, and I were gonna have a girls night tonight. Tomorrow?"Emily asks and Hotch smiles.

"I'll pick you up at your apartment tomorrow at…6?"

"Sounds good. You do know where I live at, right?"

"It is on your records."

"Right. Well, what should I wear?"

"Casual clothes, I guess. We're not eating at anywhere too fancy."

"Okay. Well, I'll see you tomorrow then."

"Goodnight Prentiss."

"Goodnight Hotch."Emily says before she leaves his office.

AN: I really hope the characters don't seem ooc. Let me know if they do. I'm trying my best, but I've never written for Criminal Minds before so I'm not used to it yet. Anyway, hope you liked the chapter. The next chapter will be a girls night out for Emily, Garcia, and JJ. Then, the chapter after that will be Hotch and Emily's date. Please leave me a review and let me know what you think. Ideas are always welcome. Thanks for reading! - Jessica


	7. Girls Night Out

AN: Hello everyone! I'm back again! Like I said in the previous chapter, I really hope the characters aren't ooc. If you think they are, please let me know which ones you think I should write differently. This chapter is the girls night out. The next chapter will be the big first date. I would like to dedicate this chapter to my one and only sibling; my older sister Megan. It was her 22nd birthday on August 7. Sorry for the wait. I got bad road rash right after we had dinner with my sister, her fiancé, and my niece the night of my sister's birthday. It's finally better. BTW, I am changing the name of this story to Hotchniss. Hope you all like it! – Jessica

Chapter 7 Rating: T

After work that Friday night, Prentiss, JJ, and Garcia went out to a bar for drinks.

"So ladies; here's to catching another killer!"Garcia says and they all take a shot.

"I can't believe someone would kill their own daughter."JJ comments as they all sip on a beer.

"I know. Especially over something like an ex-boyfriend."Emily says.

"So, Emily… JJ told me about you and Hotch."Garcia comments and Emily's eyes widen.

"JJ! That was a secret."Emily says to her colleague and JJ just shrugs.

"Everyone will find out eventually."JJ says in defense.

"So, what's going on with you and Hotch?"Garcia asks nosily.

"I don't wanna talk about it right now."

"Emily Prentiss, spill!"Garcia says and Emily sighs.

"Fine. We're going on a date tomorrow."Emily says and before she even finishes the sentence, Garcia and JJ squeal.

"Yay! Finally! Where are you guys going for your date?"Garcia asks and Emily shrugs.

"I don't know. Some casual restaurant, I think."

"Girl! We gotta help you get ready tomorrow."Garcia says excitedly and JJ nods in agreement.

"Fine. But, please don't tell anybody else about this. At least for now."Emily pleads and JJ and Garcia nod.

"Fine. We promise not to tell anyone."JJ says.

1 Hour Later

The girls decided to do some karaoke after they had a few drinks.

"I'm gonna sing a High School Musical song."Garcia says and JJ and Emily giggle.

"Really, Pen? High School Musical? Isn't that for kids and teenagers?"Emily asks and Garcia shakes her head.

"It's for anybody, sweet pea. Besides, have you seen how I look?"Garcia says before walking up to the karaoke floor.

"I Just Wanna Be With You. High School Musical 3."Garcia says to the Karaoke guy and he nods before the song starts playing.

Garcia was actually a pretty good singer.

By the time she was done singing, everyone was on the dance floor.

When she was done, the crowd applauded her and shouted encore.

Penelope gave them what they wanted, and started singing Start of Something New (also from High School Musical).

Just as she was singing the second verse, a cute guy came up and started singing with her.

At the end of the song, the crowd applauded, and Garcia sat back down with the girls.

"Who was that cute guy?"JJ asked as soon as Garcia sat back down with them.

"I don't know."Garcia says smiling just as she felt a tap on her shoulder.

"Hi."The cute guy she was singing karaoke with greeted her shyly.

"Hi. I'm Penelope Garcia."Garcia says sticking her hand out so he could shake it.

"I'm Kevin Lynch."The cute guy says shaking her hand.

"Nice to meet you Kevin. I'm guessing you're a High School Musical fan?"Garcia says smiling at him.

"Yeah. I'm a total geek. So, do you maybe want to get a drink with me?"He asks nervously.

"Sure. Excuse me, ladies."Garcia says before following Kevin to the bar with her bag in her hand.

"They are so cute!"Emily says as soon as Garcia and Kevin walk away.

"They'd have such cute, dorky children."JJ says.

"So, any new man in your life?"Emily asks JJ.

"No. I still haven't gotten back into the dating scene yet. Henry is still trying to understand the relationship between me and Will. I don't want to bring another guy into the picture and make Henry even more confused than he already is. It's only been a year since we divorced. I'm gonna wait a little while longer before I start thinking about dating again."

"How's Henry doing in preschool?"

"Great. He loves his two teachers, and classmates. I was worried that he was going to not like it since it's his first year, but I'm glad he's enjoying it."

"That's good."

Just then, the voices of Penelope Garcia and Kevin Lynch could be heard singing Could I Have This Dance.

"Another High School Musical song?"JJ asks.

"I guess they really like it."Emily says as her and JJ continued to watch Garcia and Kevin sing almost every song from High School Musical.

45 Minutes Later

After Garcia and Kevin sang practically every single song from the High School Musical franchise, they came over and sat down at the little table with Emily and JJ.

"Great singing, guys."Emily comments.

"Thanks. I like to sing karaoke a lot."Kevin comments and Garcia gasps.

"Me too! I even have a karaoke machine in my apartment. You should come over sometime, and we could sing for hours."Garcia comments and Kevin smiles.

"Sounds like fun."

"So, here's my number Kevin. Call or text me anytime. I always answer. "Garcia says smiling at Kevin as she hands him a piece of paper with her number on it.

"I'll text you tonight. It was nice meeting you Penelope."Kevin says and he kisses her hand.

"It was nice meeting you too, Kevin. Don't let my fairies or witches cast a spell on you tonight."Garcia says playfully and Kevin smirks before he walks away.

"You guys are so cute!"JJ comments as Garcia watches Kevin walk away.

"I really like him. He's cute, smart, and nerdy. Everything I need in a man."Garcia comments.

"You should start dating him."Emily says.

"I don't know. Dating is awkward for me."Garcia says sadly.

"Isn't dating awkward for everyone?"Emily asks and JJ nods.

"Yeah, Pen. You should totally go out with him. He clearly likes you."JJ says reassuringly.

"And, we know you like him…"Emily says and Garcia blushes.

"Alright. I'll ask him out on a date."Garcia says and JJ and Emily clap excitedly.

JJ looks at the time on her watch and yawns.

"Wow! It's already 2:30 in the morning. I better be heading home. Will has Henry for the weekend, and I wanna catch up on my sleep. Goodnight ladies."JJ says as she stands up and gives them a hug.

She puts $100 on the table.

"You don't have to do that. We can pay for ourselves."Emily says but JJ shakes her head.

"No. It's fine. Keep the change. I'll see you ladies tonight. Goodnight."JJ says before catching a cab back to her apartment.

"I should probably head home soon too, Em. Text me when you want us to come over and help you get ready."Garcia says before standing up and catching a cab to go back to her apartment.

"I'm guessing you're all finished?"A waitress named Amber asks after Garcia leaves.

"Yeah. Here you go. Keep the change."Emily says and hands the waitress the $100.

"Thank you so much. "The waitress says as Emily signs the receipt before catching a cab herself.

AN: I hope you liked it! Thanks for reading! I really appreciate everyone who reads and leaves a review for my story. Sorry for the wait once again. I hope I can get at least one more chapter up before I go back to school on September 2nd, but I can't promise anything. Once again, I changed the name of the story to Hotchniss. The next chapter will be the big first date for Hotch and Prentiss. - Jessica


	8. Emily and Aaron's First Date Part 1

Author's Note: Hi everyone! I know it's been a while since I last updated this story. I'm so sorry. I've been extremely busy lately. I like to rant a lot and tell my life story on my author's note, so I am seriously gonna apologize in advance for this long one. I started school September 2, and life has been hectic since then. I've been extremely busy with school. Homework, studying, quizzes, tests, school drama. Blah. Plus, I had a bad cold the second or third week of school, which was no fun. I have also already had the flu for a couple days and then had laryngitis for a few days right after I had the flu (all in the same week of my birthday). My grandpap (my dad's dad) was in the hospital for a couple weeks after getting life or death surgery. Thank goodness he survived that, but he still has been in and out of the hospital lately. He is now back in the old folks home that he was in. My one and only sister, Megan, had another baby on October 2nd. She had another little girl. Her name is Penelope Quinn. She was 7lbs 3oz, and 20 inches long. She is so adorable. My two nieces are so adorable. Now, there is Annabelle and Penelope. Okay, enough of my ranting about my life story. Once again, so sorry for the long wait. This chapter is Hotch and Emily's first date. Now, enough with my ranting and onto the story.

/

Chapter 8 Rating: T

It was the night of Emily and Hotch's first date.

They were both nervous, but of course Hotch, with his stoic demeanor, was better at hiding it.

JJ and Garcia came over to help Emily get ready at around 5pm.

"I'm so nervous."Emily nervously admits to her friends, who were currently helping her pick something to wear.

"Don't be. You've known Hotch for a long time. It's not like you're meeting him for the first time on some blind date. God, those are awful."JJ says grimacing as her and Penelope search through Emily's closet.

"Yeah, Em. Just relax. Have a drink while you're out. We don't have any cases right now. Heck, you can come back here after your date with Hotch and we can have a girls night at home."Garcia says and Emily smiles at her friends.

"Thanks ladies. You're the best."

"No problem, Em."JJ says.

"It's what we're here for."Garcia says.

45 minutes later, Emily is all ready to go.

Garcia and JJ picked out a simple black dress for Emily that they found in her closet. It went down to her knees. It had short sleeves. Emily wanted her hair down, so they just straightened her hair, and then did her makeup lightly.

"All ready to go?"JJ asks and Emily looks through her purse real quick.

"Keys. Wallet. Gum. Breath mints. Badge. Hair clip. Ponytail. Lipstick. Eyeliner. Mascara. Yep, I'm ready."Emily says and goes over to a closet with her shoes in it and picks out a pair of simple 4 inch black heels and steps into them.

"You look hot girl!"JJ says and Garcia agrees.

"Hotch is gonna fawn all over you all night."Garcia remarks and Emily gives herself a once-over in the mirror before they heard a knock on the door.

"I'm so nervous. Wish me luck."Emily says quietly to the girls before opening the door to see Hotch standing there in a tuxedo.

"Am I underdressed?"Emily asks as soon as she sees what he's wearing.

"No. Not at all. You look great."Hotch says and flashes a smile at her.

"Thanks. You look good too."Emily says smiling back at him.

"I'm just gonna go grab my purse and then we can leave."Emily says and Hotch nods before she goes to grab her purse.

As Emily starts walking towards the kitchen to grab her purse, Hotch catches a glimpse of JJ and Garcia in the living room.

"Hello JJ and Garcia. I know you're there."Hotch says out loud as Emily walks back towards him at the doorway.

"Hi Hotch. Have a good date with Emily!"JJ says and Garcia nods in agreement.

"Thank you ladies. Have a good night."Hotch says and they both yell back "you too" before Emily closes the door and her and Hotch head to the elevator.

"So, where are you taking me for our date, Aaron? Is it okay to call you Aaron?"Emily asks nervously as they step into the elevator.

"Of course. Just not at work. And, the location of our date is secret until we get there."Hotch says and Emily bites her lip.

"Thank goodness I know you're an FBI agent or else I'd think you were a serial killer."Emily says and Hotch laughs before the elevator opens on the main floor of Emily's apartment building.

"All I am going to tell you is that they have really good food, and I have a strong feeling that you're gonna like it."Hotch says with a poker face.

That left Emily wondering the whole ride in the cab to wherever they were going.

/

AN: I first thought about making this a long chapter, but I wanted to give you guys a new chapter after such a long wait. Sorry again for the long wait. I've been really busy and haven't had time to write. I've also had some writer's block for this story. Ideas are always welcome. I hope the next wait isn't as long as this one was. I'm gonna try my best to get a new chapter for this story out again soon. Please review with your ideas. Thanks for reading. - Jessica


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